Peace of Aether
by ploxxon13
Summary: After the events in the Godai Delta, the Rivals must build a path towards a new Aetherian society. There will be talking and murder, love and betrayal, and much else.
1. Chapter 1

Late Afternoon. The Godai Delta.

The shadowy terror had been beaten back. It settled….

...And everyone exclaimed and cried out in victory.

Orcane sprawled himself on the ground, exhausted. Wrastor faced off to some random direction and proceeded to express a sense of confidence that led Maypul to giggle as she fed her worn out Lily. Kragg disregarded all of it, inspecting the purple rocks beneath them.

Maypul and Forsburn looked at each other and shared a questioning look. They didn't need to speak aloud, lest they worry the others. They knew they shared the same thought, 'Is it _really_ over, though?'

Forsburn looked to Zetterburn, who was looking out to the east. He walked up behind him and began, "Brother–?"

"I was never really good," Zetterburn interrupted, "at much of anything back at court, you know… when we were young." He sighed heavily, "Father always seemed to favor you for your various talents."

Forsburn just listened.

His brother continued, his voice stern and confidant, "I'm damn good in a fight, and the only thing I enjoy more is the look on my soldiers' faces before and after a good fight… but father realized the importance of things other than war. I know, he commanded us to war so many times. But what good has come of any of it?

"Victory and glory and praise, sure…. But today has shown me something…." He turned to Forsburn, the smallest of tears betraying him, "I am not ready to lead our people. Come back home with me and help me to learn how to lead."

Forsburn held his expression to hide the whirl of emotions, despite the mask he wore. Zetterburn had been so ready to believe the lies. "But what about Emperor Loxodont?"

"Damn Loxodont, that treasonous cu–!"

"I agree!" Forsburn interrupted loudly, eyeing the nearby maypul, "However, your fire need not be so vulgar, granted those presently in our company."

"Oh don't worry about it," Maypul says slyly, "I've heard worse. Often directed at me."

Zetterburn stared at his brother with slight awe before turning his head in shame. Even now, his brother was better than him with words.

Forsburn sighed, "Perhaps you are right, brother." Zetterburn's expression seemed to lift slightly. "However, I must attend to other matters first."

"What could be more important than our people? Revealing to them the truth about the council. The truth about you!"

"I didn't say it was more important."

Zetterburn paused, then nodded in understanding. If Forsburn thought some unspoken action was best, it usually was.

"Besides... the eldest prince being currently accused of patricide probably shouldn't show his face until the public hears that I might NOT be guilty."

Zetterburn turned away and went back to eyeing the eastern horizon. "I'm sure you are right, brother." He turn his head slightly to look at Forsburn, "I will ensure the people know the truth. And they will welcome you upon your return."

"Thanks, Zet." Forsburn half turned away when he paused and quietly said, "And don't think I was never jealous of the commander of the Fire Kingdom's army," before walking back to the group. Zetterburn couldn't help but grin at the thought that his older brother would look up to him, the younger.

Maypul stood up from feeding Lily as Forsburn approached the group. "Sorry to eavesdrop a little bit back there."

"It's not really an issue, but thank you."

Maypul spoke softly, "I knew there would be a bit of tension between you, you being of the Smoke Clan and all. But I am sorry… I couldn't bear to have such a gap between me and Mayreed."

Forsburn didn't know who Mayreed was, but he assumed Maypul spoke of her own sibling.

Back at the center of the platform, Wrastor and Kragg were speaking. Kragg apologized for attacking Wrastor and his partner on sight, and Wrastor seemed to accept. Kragg did not seem to mind that Wrastor's own apology (for swooping down at a damaged section of the Rock Wall, appearing to be taking advantage of the weakness) was terribly worded and not much of an apology whatsoever.

"If I may, Wall Runner," Forsburn inquired, "may we speak of what you have seen with the Shadows?"

Kragg agreed and the three of them spoke of the different encounters. Orcane began to make some kind of noise at the group, but no one understood what he wanted to say. Lily, luckily, began to translate Orcane's words to Maypul, who translated to the group. Orcane mentioned the suspicious trade he saw onboard the Air Armada vessel for a magical shifting map of Aether. Wrastor, immediately inquired for a description of the Air Armada captain. With the description from Orcane, he flew off west to confront his superiors without a second thought.

Zetterburn walked back over and bent down on one knee next to Orcane. "Forgive me, Puddle Jumper. I saw a Shadow of you steal something sacred to the Fire Kingdom. In my rage I delivered an unjustified vengeance upon the innocents of Merchant Port."

After a translation, Orcane began yelping back. It seemed that Orcane was very understanding and forgiving. Maypul translated, "Apparently, the most damage appears to have happened to the Water Trading Company buildings." Maypul giggled before continuing, "And he doesn't like them anyway."

Maypul's joy dropped suddenly "However, his adoptive family has suffered somewhat, as well. He needs to see to them and make sure Nesbit is alright. Nesbit is his… adoptive father, apparently, and he isn't sure what has happened to him yet."

Zetterburn stood up and declared, "I will send aid to you, Puddle Jumper, and your city. The Fire Kingdom will not continue to do wrong to the citizens of Aether. We will help unite everyone. Today has shown me that this is the path we must take."

The group continued to discuss plans that could help to prevent incidents like this from happening to Aether again. It was agreed that they must first confront their own peoples, to notify them of what has occurred and convince them to not ignore the potential of greater threats.

Kragg created a series of platforms out of rock to walk the group back towards the high cliffs nearby. Orcane leaped into a nearby puddle and vanished towards Merchant Port, while Zetterburn wandered back east. Maypul told Kragg to head back towards the Aetherian Forest without her, and to take Lily with a message for her sister Mayreed. Kragg obliged her and headed northwest.

Once all others had gone, Maypul wandered over to Forsburn, who had taken a seat on the edge of the cliff and was staring into the Godai Delta. She sat next to him, laid back, and let out a deep sigh of relief. Forsburn eyed her inquisitively.

With a bit of excitement in her voice, Maypul asked, "So… when do we leave for the Smoke Clan?"

"Excuse me?!" Forsburn exclaimed, "You're not supposed to have found it the first time. We call it a hideout for a reason."

She put up three clawed fingers. "Evil shadows from another place, Fire Kingdom battle squads, and a lone vigilante. I don't think your 'hideout' is very well hidden. A little too 'out' in the open to 'hide' at all, really."

Forsburn rolled his eyes, faced the delta again. "Fine then." He stood up, brushed himself off, and said, "you better keep up." He immediately marched off to the northeast.

Maypul merely smiled as she followed him. Finally, there was going to be some work done on making an alliance somewhere. She wasn't the only person trying to make a difference anymore. The thought pleased her so much, she began humming a happy tune.


	2. Chapter 2

Twilight Dawn. Near the Smoke Clan's Hideout.

The darkest part of the night was an ally in these times. Forsburn and Maypul had finally reached the Smoke Clan's hideout, and had found a rather thick set of shrubs to conceal themselves within. Neither of them were particularly adapted to seeing in the dark, so they had agreed to wait until dawn to approach. They did not want to make the Smoke Clan wary of approaching shadows, especially after the recent Fire Kingdom attack.

It had taken them a couple of days to get this far. Forsburn would have used smoke portals to travel faster, but he had been exhausted from the fight with the Shadows, and had not yet rested properly. So after all that traveling, it felt good to just sit for a while.

Fortunately, the free time to sit and think was good, in Forsburn's opinion, as he could retreat into his thoughts and determine a proper course of action. Specifically, he needed to ensure that the Smoke Clan would not only avoid harming his traveling companion, but also listen to what she had to say. Unfortunately, said companion had been rather stressful to travel with for the last few days.

It seemed that, as time passed and his thoughts become more formulated, her attention span decreased. This led to her asking rather direct questions that Forsburn was absolutely not comfortable with answering. He had stated this many times each day, as had been necessary. It seemed the message had not gotten through and so Maypul had taken this downtime to prod yet again.

"So, Fors," She whispered excitedly, "I know you haven't answered a single one of my questions aloud yet, but I just want to ask you one more thing."

"Please don't," Forsburn muttered. He was more than tired of hearing her questions already, but he also knew he could not stop her from asking.

"Don't you think that your continued dividing of self between Fire and Smoke will ever get the better of you?"

Forsburn was surprised. He had not thought that she would ask such a thing.

Maypul continued, "You have had ample time to process your brother's apology, and of course you have discovered your new life among the Smoke Clan. But you're still divided on your primary allegiance."

"What's your point?" Forsburn had an idea of what she was getting at, but her points were valid and he started to questioned himself.

"My point is, you are born of fire, but you have chosen to follow the smoke. But if there comes a time that the two of them don't play nice together, who would you chose to fight for?"

Forsburn needed to dodge her questioning. He had already followed her stringing to far, "I'm not a fighter, so I guess it doesn't matter." Of course he saw the flaw in that logic.

Maypul, however, was more clever than she let on. A point Forsburn had been learning recently. "Wrong," she said. "You would rather your own brother see past the falseness of the Fire Kingdom and come to see the same sort of revelation you have seen in the Smoke Clan, right?"

Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, he released how much she had read right through him. She had beaten him at his own game, and he didn't even know she was playing. As he thought back to all the questions she had been asking the last few days, and his nonchalant responses, he could see how she picked up on every vocalization and gesture he had made. It was safe to assume, he thought, that she already had an answer to each question by now. He could feel the victorious joy emanating from Maypul, all as she grinned and lightly snickered in the darkness.

The sun became visible and the moment passed. Forsburn did not feel the need to deny her, "You are… rather smart."

"Oh? You ready to acknowledge something?" Again, he could feel her mischievous grin, but glanced at her to verify it. And as he looked at her, he couldn't help but notice he may have met his match in wit. He felt the tiniest fear within him as he saw the morning sun sparkle against her grinning complexion. "You were right… about everything."

They stayed silent for a time, letting the sun shine more upon the land. Maypul spoke first, her voice now somber, "I'm sorry…. I know it can be hard to choose sides… choosing between the ones you love and what's right. I've already had to make that choice once…. I'm just lucky to not've lost my sister in the process."

Forsburn looked upon her sorrowful expression. She had clearly lost much else, and it had all taken a toll on her. He felt sorry for her, and realised that he too would soon know that pain.

"Mayreed, right?" He quietly responded, in effort to comfort her.

She seemed shocked, "Um... How did you know that?"

"You mentioned her name in passing back at the Godai Delta."

"Oh," Maypul blushed, "guess I'm a bit of a blabbermouth." She felt embarrassed at not remembering her own words, and that she gave away her sister's name so freely at all.

"I suppose I'm getting used to it by now." Forsburn said slyly.

Maypul landed a strong blow to Forsburn's shoulder, blushing intensely. "No one asked for your opinion!"

Forsburn laughed a bit, caressing his shoulder slightly as he stood up from the bush. Maypul stood as well. She yelped as black smoke coiled around them. The smoke constricted into the form of a large snake, and the two were swiftly captured. They immediately attempted to struggle free, but the snake had them in a firm grasp.

"What the hell?!" Maypul shrieked as one of the snake's eyes came level with her own. Forsburn, however, had ceased his writhing as he realised who had caught them.

The snake spoke to Maypul, "And who are you to be sneaking about dawn by our home?"

Her response, "None of your damn business, ya freak!" was not well tempered.

Forsburn tried to intervene, "Brother! I bring her as a trusted friend." He noticed how difficult it was to speak under the crushing force of being enveloped by a snake. "We are true and mean no harm to the sanctuary."

The snake's eye now drifted before Forsburn, "Ahhh, Forsburn, I thought it was you." The snake's tongue flickered out of its mouth for a brief moment. "You should know that outsiders are forbidden, lest their flame be smothered for ever."

Maypul, still struggling violently, retorted "I'm not one of those Fire Kingdom hotheads, you slimy creaton!"

"Damnit, May, shut up for minute!" Forsburn hissed. As Maypul reluctantly complied, he spoke in a more formal tone back at the Smoke clansman, "We are here to shed light on the recent events that have plagued Aether. We can explain everything, but I must speak with Claiyen."

"Fine, we will escort you." As the snake said this, smoke erupted from behind him and seven more members of Smoke Clan came forth.

The snake released Forsburn and Maypul, and got into the circle formation the seven other clansmen had started around them. Forsburn, yet again, had to think ahead and ensure he said the right things; there was no guarantee that Claiyen would believe a word of what he and Maypul had seen.

He turned to Maypul and whispered, "I'm going to need you to let me do the talking for a while. We are in a great deal of danger until Claiyen tells the rest of the clan to not kill us both."

She whispered back angrily, "I thought you were part of the Smoke Clan! Why the hell can't you just say a secret password and let them know we aren't a threat?"

"It doesn't work that way," He said, annoyed. "Besides, they just recently had been violently attacked by the Fire Kingdom and those Shadows, on separate occasions. We can only hope they haven't been attacked since then since then. With every incident, Smoke Clan becomes more and more wary of strangers, and the last time any of them saw you, they were dealing with one of those aforementioned attacks."

Maypul grumbled and nodded, acknowledging the facts.

They would need to be careful to avoid unwanted aggression. Claiyen was a reasonable Chief, but she protected her own, and would not hesitate to destroy a threat to the Clan. Forsburn knew this from just brief conversations with her, and did not like the idea of being on Claiyen's bad side. If this did not go perfectly, he would lose his home a second time….

Forsburn couldn't bare the thought.

* * *

A/N: So, its been a minute. I am going to try and be more devoted to this story. I even proofreaded CH1 again, and did the same to this chapter before uploading. But i may have missed somestuff so bear with me.

I'm actually going to make another pass at the story mode to refamiliarize myself with the characters.

The chapters may feel a bit separated, as in some amount of time has passed between them. Each chapter will, of course explained what has happened since, but i am not someone who explains every single occurance, unless significant. This chapter is a perfect example, i skipped much of the actual dialogue during Fors's and May's traveling, because its more important to imply what was said then to actually write it and end up force feeding you guys. Now, you can surely make some guessing to what was asked, but it matters more that you guys understand the gist of what had passed between chapters.

ANYWAY, i'll stop rambling. Sadly, I think I still have the only FanFic of RoA on this site, But check the web and you'll find a story better than mine.

I will address right now, that I am taking the Rivals of Aether cannon as the primary source for this story. I already know what paths will be walked, but what characters actually play important roles is not always decided. i.e. I love Absa and Etalus, but they aren't in the story mode at all... so you best believe im trying to think of a way to nestle them in there.

Take care!


	3. Chapter 3

Midday. Deep within the Smoke Clan's Hideout.

Forsburn was beyond worried at this point. It had been nearly an hour already, and Claiyen's expression hadn't changed the whole time. Luckily, she chose to listen to Forsburn's story, but whether or not it was received as believable was yet to be determined. Claiyen was as likely to kill them both. Forsburn had shared the events that had transpired, and gave the various accounts of Orcane, Maypul and Kragg having encountered the Shadows. However, he had already wrapped up about 15 minutes ago, and Claiyen had been silent since before he finished talking.

Maypul seemed rather calm, but Forsburn could see the faintest trembling as he glanced at her. To be fair, they were surrounded by countless warriors trained in stealth. There could be a dagger through their necks before either one of them even noticed that anyone had moved.

Now there was time to admire it, the room was very nice. The red, oaken walls sat upon 3-foot-tall marble skirting and the crown molding, and supporting pillars were of gold. There was a scent of smoke in the air that did not assault the senses, but rather enticed. There were no chairs to speak of, but soft pillows adorned the floor. Forsburn seemed to remember that one was called a "zaisu." Claiyen sat in a slightly superior looking one, but the truth was that she had removed a great deal of the embroidery that once adorned the zaisu. Claiyen was not one for garish embellishments. The most striking thing about Claiyen was her blue clothing.

The silence was broken when Claiyen vanished in a rush of smoke. From the dissipating cloud, Claiyen walked forth. "I believe you, Brother." Forsburn sighed in relief. "But if your story is true, and the Shadows have been defeated, why then should we waste our time with an alliance with the Fire Kingdom? It would be trust misplaced. We have all suffered at their hands, and many of the earliest recordings of war stem from their actions. Why should we not simply join forces with the Air Armada and strike the Fire Kingdom down?"

"That is why I have brought this one with me: Maypul, of the Forest. She is an admirable warrior and is also committed to the formation of alliance betwee–"

"Perhaps," Claiyen interrupted, "she can speak for herself on this matter. You have already broken your vows by bringing her here so do not speak again until I ask you to. The sylvan folk are notorious for ignoring the going-ons of Aether. So let's hear her explain how–"

"First off, it's really rude to interrupt." Maypul snapped, which caused Forsburn's anxiety immediately spiked up. Claiyen, however, seemed quite intrigued "Second, what the hell was that smoke show for? And thirdly, I am aware the treetop dwellers tend to not give a shit about anything, its why I rebel everyday to protect the Forest." Maypul's annoyance had turned to anger quickly, but she appeared to be keeping herself in check for now.

Claiyen politely responded, "I was convening with my brothers and sisters about the validity of Forsburn's account. And we determined he has been truthful enough to avoid most of the punishment." She shot a glance at Forsburn, and let her words sink in before returning her gaze to Maypul. "For now we are entertaining your words. I recommend you speak them with more caution."

Forsburn's hair started to stand on end. Maypul, noticing this, lined her speech with a minor respectful tone, "Given the valuable information he has returned with, what would be the consequences he suffers?"

"Bringing you here would normally result in your allegiance or his death, but you don't seem the type to accept the Smoke."

Maypul shared a worried look with Forsburn. "Your right. However, you must understand the gravity of the situation. The eldritch crisis may be over now, but what would happen should it arise again? Most of us still don't know what happened, and we all need to prepare for the possibility of it happening again."

Claiyen listened intently, her expression now a far more serious one.

Maypul continued, "Which is why I propose an alliance between the Smoke Clan, the Sylvan folk and Wall Runners, the Air Armada, in addition to the Fire Kingdom. It may even be possible to contact the Elders of Air up in the Archai Mountains to see what knowledge they have of this Shadow and if they can determine its origins and how to ensure it doesn't come back."

Claiyen nodded sharply. "The Smoke Clan agrees. Although, however difficult it might be to get the Sylvan treetop dwellers to come down from their trees or listen to outsiders, they would more reachable than those atop the Archai Mountains. The breaking of the Air Alliance caused them to hide away in their mountains for years. And there is a violent, eternal storm that I suspect is also their doing. Regardless, we must move forward with this plan."

Maypul gave a slight smile and nodded, "Good to hear."

Forsburn felt relieved, but Claiyen's promise of punishment had not escaped his thoughts yet.

"However," Claiyen sighed, "Smoke Clan will never simply agree to work alongside the Fire Kingdom without hearing the same from them as well. Far too many of us have been plaything of the Kingdom, and burned in the process."

Forsburn and Maypul glanced at each other. He knew exactly what her idea would be, and he hoped she wouldn't say it.

"So, you need them to deliver a message of peace, right?" Maypul grinned even as Forsburn gave her a look of desperation. "Well Forsburn here is a wanted criminal for the supposed assassination of the previous Fire Emperor. And you said he needed to be punished with what was supposed to be death."

"Go on." Claiyen entertained Maypul's thoughts much to Forsburn's dismay.

"Well, walking into the Capital is certain death for him, but if he could get the current emperor to sign off on a peace agreement…. I think maybe we could start off with at least that much, right?"

Forsburn died inside. "A sound plan indeed," Claiyen said softly, then turned to face Forsburn with a deliberate expression. "You will go to the Fire Kingdom's capital city and speak to Emperor Renburn's successor about this plan." she paused, then said in an even more serious and threatening tone, "Do not fail us again."

"I understand, Sister."

"Good," Claiyen stood up and started to walk out of the room. "You will be given rooms for the night, but you both leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Once she was gone, the two seemed to have the room for themselves for a short while. "Seems more like a cult than a clan," Maypul said quietly, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Forsburn chuckled for a moment. "Thanks, May, but I suppose I do have to worry a bit."

"Oh?"

"I've haven't been a part of this for very long. But, the fact is that the Smoke Clan believes in the 'truthful deception' of smoke. That means we do not lie. We also do not kill without reason. We use other's blindness as our vision, and when their guard is down, ours rise."

"That sounds awfully like a memorised prayer," She snorted.

Forsburn gave a laughing sigh, "I guess it does…. But, seriously, how am I supposed to get Emperor Loxodont to agree to this? He is as manipulative as he is greedy."

Maypul paused, before she chimed in, "You just said it."

Forsburn's brow furrowed, and he gave her a blank stare.

"Use his 'blindness' as your 'vision.' Use what he doesn't know against him. Take him down if you have to."

Forsburn's eyes widened a bit as Maypul spoke.

"And no matter what happens," She said softly as she moved closer to him, "continue work to ensure the prosperity and safety of your folk. If there's one thing I've figured out about your so far, it's that you care more for your folk than some do for their own families. And that's very admirable."

"Thanks," Forsburn blushed, "I guess. It's not that big of a deal, though." For some reason, he could barely maintain eye contact, and it only made him feel even more silly.

Maypul took a step closer, "It is. Because that level of dedication can't be bought, and it isn't easily snuffed out." Her face betrayed an honesty he hadn't seen in a long time. It was the kind of determination Zetterburn always had when he was younger, before every training session or march to battle. Maypul wasn't done though, "And it might be the best quality you have, so don't go around trying to hide it." With that, Forsburn could really feel himself getting a little anxious.

Just then, two Smoke Clansmen walked in and requested Maypul and Forsburn to follow them. Glad for the interruption, Forsburn quickly accepted and stepped before them. Perhaps too quickly, as he heard the faintest giggle from Maypul, which meant she could sense his nervousness and seemed to find it amusing.

As they walked down the halls in silence, Forsburn couldn't help but hope that each door they passed would be the one they stop at. He grew increasingly more anxious, occasionally glancing at Maypul, hoping she would not notice. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for anymore. However, he did come to notice how beautiful the green of her fur was. It was a shade he hadn't seen quite often, and now that he got the chance to really admire it, especially with the striking contrast of the red walls behind her…. He looked away quickly, hurting his own neck in the process 'Woah, how long was I staring just now?' He was sure she had noticed. He felt terribly embarrassed.

When they were finally shown their separate rooms, each across the hall from each other, he was so relieved to get some solitude that he practically ran into the room. He quickly thanked the clansmen, and bid Maypul a good night before nearly slamming the door.

He leaned against the door, and waited. He noticed he was breathing heavily and tried to calm himself down a bit. He heard Maypul thank the clansmen and close her own door. He waited a little longer, until he finally seemed to calm down. When did he ever get so nervous around a female before? He had been in a few types of relationships with females in the past, and not one of them ever made him feel as off guard as Maypul did. Granted, none of those relationships lasted long before the girl was leaving him in an attempt to chase Zetterburn, the Fire General.

He shook his head, leaned off the door, and walked toward the bed. He paused before tossing himself onto it, gave out a drawn out sigh, and closed his eyes.

His eyes shot open as he suddenly realised that he noticed the smell of smoke. The smell wasn't out of place, quite the opposite. No, what was strange was that the smell seemed to reappear, as if it had been masked earlier….

Forsburn gave it some thought, before he put two and two together. The smell of fresh leaves... wind-blown grass… the truest and purest of nature's breath. The scent of Maypul had been so intoxicating, and he hadn't noticed until now. He chocked it up to just another annoying detail about her, albeit an annoyance he enjoyed.

He rolled over and tried to simply fall asleep. He didn't want to think about anything else until the sun rose.

* * *

A/N: Welp. That one was out quick... although it's only cause i knew exactly what i wanted to happen this chapter. And yes i know my chapter are way too short, but this is the longest one yet (for this story).

Anyway, i will confess a problem i have. I don't know if i can, in confidence, write a chapter from Maypul's point of view (this has all been from Forsburn's point of view if ya cant tell). Any tips or pointers for writing from a females perspective would be helpful. 

P.S.: yes, i intend for all 8 characters in the RoA roster to make an appearance in this story, however minor it may be. no confirmation on guest characters yet, as that may or may not make me turn this into a crossover. although i wouldn't mind hearing opinions on that thought, its a small audience for now so... ya.

anyway. TAKE CARE!


	4. Chapter 4

Dawn. Just outside the Smoke Clan's Hideout.

Forsburn walked outside the main temple and allowed himself to stretch out his limbs. He would be traveling to a place with much animosity towards him. He might even be attacked on sight. He would need to be ready to fight off anyone and everyone, but hopefully not his brother. He had only been awake for an hour now, but he felt very exhausted.

He had slept well enough, despite some disturbing dreams. He had tried to ignore the images of a certain traveling companion in situations and positions one would not normally imagine a warrior to be in, but those weren't the problem. His biggest concern was of a black creature so large, it could blot out the sun before descending the world into darkness. Forsburn woke from that image in a cold sweat, fearful of an omen that the Shadows were soon to return. He did not wish to share his dreams with Maypul, mostly because he did not know how to tell the series of events within his dreams without exposing the details he would rather keep hidden. Knowing her, she would notice the gaps and would prod for answers.

He still didn't understand why he had such an a problem keeping his cool around her. She either annoyed him or made him too nervous, even though she was no enemy. Perhaps years of being told to view the outside world as enemies had gotten to him. He always imagined himself a proper diplomat, seeing all outsiders as potential partners and not discriminating. He was still Renburn's son. The toughest question was whether or not he should wear his mask when he arrived.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Forsburn looked out east toward the sunrise. It was a sight to behold, the sun rose over white mountains, its light shining so brightly as to make them appear ashen. The resulting gradient on the mountains seem to be calming, yet also invigorating.

Just then, he heard Maypul walking out behind him. "Morning, Smoky. I thought you might be out here already."

"Good morning. I just wanted to make sure Claiyen did not need to enforce her decision." This was partially true. He had also not wanted to look upon Maypul until he could calm his nerves.

"Oh yeah. I waited outside your room for a few minutes, and even knocked. But when you didn't answer I figured you already got a head start without me." She seemed happy, perhaps at the thought of not being left behind.

"Well it doesn't matter," he sighed, "since we are going separate ways."

Maypul frowned slightly at this, but she did not pause. "Then I hope we can meet again soon."

He nodded. His chest ached slightly, but Forsburn knew he felt the same way. She had been an interesting enough individual and, despite how aggravating she could be, he enjoyed her company.

Maypul moved about uncomfortably as she bid farewell. It appeared as though she had more to say, but Forsburn did not believe her to be the type to not say what was on her mind.

With farewells exchanged, they went their separate ways. Maypul dashed off to the Aetherian Forest and Forsburn walked through a smoke portal.

* * *

Running as fast as she could through the wastes, she looked back at the nearly visible hideout. Maypul had understood why Forsburn felt the need to go to the Fire Kingdom alone. It was his problem and his alone, but she wanted to let him know she supported him. Apparently, she had already fucked that up one hundred times since she met him. He was already annoyed with being around her. It was like he was ignoring her on purpose this morning. Was that the result of her actions? So now he was just trying to be rid of her? Well, fuck him then!

Maypul slowed to a jog. She was alone now, and while she cherished her personal time, she did not want it right now. She had been trying to get to know Forsburn since she met him and she thought she made some headway. Maybe she tried too hard. She had already set a small plan in motion, and could only hope it worked. The feelings she had never truly acknowledged before… were stronger than she would have liked.

Then there was the dreams. Sure, the last few nights have all brought similar dreams. Dreams of a strong, warm hero to lift her up and protect her. She didn't need protecting, but someone strong at her back was all she ever wanted.

Those dreams didn't bother her. Last night's dream did, however. A black sky bearing two burning blue eyes. That was all she could remember, and it made her shudder. Her own eyes were bluish-purple, and they weren't Forsburn's eyes, as his were a green, like a sapling that just sprouted from the earth.

'Wow,' she said to herself, blushing, 'Did I really just think that?'

By now she had come to a complete halt. But she shook herself and continued to dash for the Forest. She cleared her head as she focused on how to accomplish her goal. The treetop folk needed to listen to her, but she needed a way to convince them this time.

* * *

Forsburn walked up to the entrance of the Fire Capital. It was still an incredible sight to behold. The banners flowed in the wind, and the pride of Fire was no more evident than from this ground-up view.

Despite the marvelous view of his home, his heart, and mask, felt heavy.

The guards' weapons seemed well polished today, but anything pointed at your throat would seem to be well taken care of. The guards also appeared to be quite in shape as well, almost as if they could snap a neck between two fingers with ease. Forsburn noticed one of the guards with flaming horns and fists was nearly twice his size. The other guard was not much taller than he was, but she had a musculature even more defined than her comrade and the flames around her neck made her tough scales glisten like molten rock.

Forsburn spoke carefully, he did not want to start off his return with killing two guards. "I must speak with Emperor. A great cala–"

"Silence, worm," The crocodilian guard shouted, "Terrorists don't deserve to speak. I should cut off your head on sight."

Forsburn wasn't feeling particularly patient. "Do it."

The guards winced as their anger spiked, and as they prepared to shove their spears through his neck, Forsburn exploded into smoke. Caught off-guard by this, the bull guard fell forward but the crocodilian guard was able to steel herself. As she spun around she was just barely able to see Forsburn's foot below her face as it came flying upward. Forsburn sent her skyward, landed, and then did a sweeping motion as he tripped the bull guard who was starting to raise himself of the ground.

As the crocodilian guard landed on her back, Forsburn growled, "Please stay down. My brother is expecting me."

"Then I will have to apologize to your brother," the bull guard spat, as they both got to their feet, "Family funerals are so heart-breaking."

Forsburn gave her no time to think, as he rushed at her with his dagger out. "Show respect to your King!"

"Stop!" A voice boomed.

The dagger was nearly at the guard's throat and the Spear to Forsburn's chest, but they stopped just before steel connected to flesh and fur. They looked to where the voice came from.

Zetterburn, tall and proud, walked to them from the nearby watch tower. "Let him pass."

The guard seemed unsure of what to do. "But, my prince. He is smoke clan."

Zetterburn, however, did not skip a beat, "He is not to be harmed." The guard's confusion visibly grew, but he took a step away from Forsburn. Zetterburn, now within arm's reach, sighed and whispered, "He is working undercover, a trusted agent." He glared at Forsburn, "Who so foolishly is reporting back in broad daylight!"

The guard seemed to ease a bit, but was still tense. Zetterburn continued to reassure the guard that all was well, and aided the crocodilian guard as well. When both guards were calmed and sure of no wrong, Zetterburn calmly sent them back to their posts before beckoning Forsburn to follow him.

They walked all the way up to the emperor's castle. Forsburn was horrified to see all the lion statues replaced with those of elephants. Loxodont's visage now stained the entire city.

They managed to get in without as much attention as Forsburn would have expected. No guards were stationed by the entrance they used, nor in the hallways within that Zetterburn chose to lead them down. They went straight for Zetterburn's room, still as marvelous as ever. Zetterburn turned around and gave Forsburn a heated gaze.

"Take off the damned mask!" He yelled. "Did you want to draw so much damned attention to yourself? You're lucky most of the guard is off duty right now."

Forsburn did as his brother asked, but did not respond.

"Damn it, Fors! I barely had enough time to string this together. The council is holding some stupid celebration today. Be thankful it's today, too, because it was such a golden opportunity to tell all the guards to take the day off. And it's not easy to get them to relax!"

Forsburn watched his younger brother go on and on. He listened as well as he could, but seeing his brother like this only reminded him of when they were little cubs. Zetterburn would always try to make plans for their mischief, and set up distracious to get the caretakers out of their way so he could sneak away snacks and toys and whatever he wasn't supposed to be getting himself into. Forsburn would, in those days, memorize all the guard movements and rotations, caretaker habits, and so on. In those times of youth and recklessness, they had been true brothers. Zetterburn did not care about his older brother's illegitimacy. Forsburn was never called a "bastard" by his brother. Only Zetterburn's mother, the late queen, would do that.

"Are you not paying attention?!" Zetterburn shouted. Forsburn managed to snap back to reality. Those memories were precious to him, but they were only memories now.

"Sorry, Zet. I'm just a little off today."

"A hell of a day to be 'off!'" Zetterburn scowled, "You realize how much work is ahead of us?"

"Yes," Forsburn lowered his voice to a whisper, "Does Loxodont suspect anything?"

Zetterburn also came to a whisper, "No. I've sent word west of the treachery of Loxodont and his plan's to march on Merchant Port and the Rockwall."

Forsburn was shocked, "The fool! Does he mean to wage war on all of Aether? His enemies will unite against such bold actions!"

"Its all lies," Zetterburn chuckled, "I expressed how the Fire Kingdom does not share Loxodont's dreams."

Forsburn grinned. Zetterburn just set up the groundwork for assassination attempts. And without the Kingdom's greatest warrior making a serious attempt to defend the Emperor, all he would have to do is set up a time that Loxodont is vulnerable. "You sneaky little shit! Where'd you learn a trick like that?"

"Father used to tell me of the your exploits. He used to say, 'A great fire needs kindling.' I figured I should use some of your tricks. I even have a copy of the note I sent." As he said this, he lowered himself, reaching underneath his bed. When he rose, he revealed a small container, and inside it was a small piece of paper. Zetterburn handed the note to Forsburn.

Forsburn read the note carefully. There was very little in it, but the message was clear. 'The Fire Emperor would declare war on everyone, and he must be stopped by any means necessary.' And with the old seal of the Fire Kingdom, from before the recent wars, it was clear this was the wish of the people. He only hoped that others remembered the seal, and how it was used to represent peace talks in ancient times.

Forsburn looked back at his brother, "Well done, this should work."

"Thanks. The intent is for the Water Trading Company to see it, and hopefully the Wall Runners. They used to be involved in the peace talks, and I would honestly be just as pleased to be notified that they acknowledge that Loxodont does not represent the will of the Fire Kingdom. But I guess I didn't really think much further than that." Zetterburn looked embarrassed now, as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his own feet.

Forsburn stepped forward and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "This is a good start. Just let me take it from here, and we can set things right."

Zetterburn looked into his brother's eyes. Forsburn could see the sadness there. His younger brother still could not forgive himself for believing the lies, but he was trying to make it right in his own way. Forsburn wanted to punch himself for being to distant and allowing any doubt to be set into Zetterburn's mind. He vowed to himself to work to rebuild their bond.

"If this all goes smoothly," Zetterburn mumbled, "One of us will end up the new emperor."

"Probably," Forsburn new he could not lay a claim, being a bastard. "I'll wholly support your claim." This was the truth. Not only did he need his brother to guide the kingdom back to glory, but the people loved Zetterburn and were as proud of his achievements as Forsburn himself was.

Zetterburn's brow furled a bit, "Well that sucks because I'm not as good at politics as you. You were born for this stuff."

Forsburn couldn't disagree, "Then, once my name is cleared, I'll shall be your chief adviser."

Zetterburn clearly wanted to disagree, but unlike in their youth, he seemed prepared to trust that Forsburn new what was best.

It would not be an easy road for them. Proving Forsburn's innocence; removing Loxodont from power; creating alliances with the other folk of Aether. Forsburn knew how difficult it would be, and the obstacles they would face. However, for now, he just wanted to move forward, without fear and hesitation.

It would be a long road to peace.

* * *

A/N: Phew. longest chapter yet. AGAIN!

hopefully i don't keep this trend up, because it is hell on my proofreading. Its hard enough to write all this down in one sitting (which i have to do or i'll fuck up my motivation) but sitting down and proofreading it all is even less enjoyable.

O also dabbled with writing from Maypul's perspective. not easy and that small segment took me twice as long as it should have. I still dont get how woman think on such a topic so i just tried my best.

in other news, im not dead yet so these will keep popping out for now.

Take Care!


	5. Chapter 5

Midnight. Public square of the Fire Capital.

Forsburn had been pacing for the last half hour. The blank paper on his dresser remained as such since he put it aside at dusk. The issue wasn't what to write on the paper, but how to not sound like an idiot. The one to read this letter would need to see him as a calm and collected individual who wouldn't lose himself to a few simple words.

"I miss you."

Those words had spun his brain the moment he read them. What did she mean by that? Did she miss his company, his conversation, or just fighting alongside someone for a greater cause. Forsburn needed to know as soon as possible, but he could not allow himself to seem desperate for the answer. Although he certainly was.

He ran back to the paper and wrote, "My friend, when I first returned home–" He stopped writing, and tossed the paper aside before grabbing a new sheet to write on.

He started over, "My good friend, When I–" before stopping himself again. He began to talk to himself aloud, "If i speak to fondly, she may see me as lonely and desperate. And if I am too passive in regarding her I may seem unapproachable."

He was still for a time before cursing loudly. The frustration was getting to him, as the last few weeks he and Maypul had been exchanging letters in secret and it was becoming increasingly obvious that Maypul held some small interest. But the letter she had sent a week ago deterred him from responding in haste; he did not want to fuck this up.

He attempted a few more drafts of a letter before finally resigning himself to sleep, as he had done every night the past week. He could feel the exhaustion grip him during the day, and it had started to affect his work.

He aloud himself to drift off to sleep, knowing all too well that his dreams would torture him with visions of darkness and evil tearing apart the land he loved. He had become somewhat desensitized to these images since they began eight weeks ago.

* * *

The next day, while the sun rose near its highest point, a crowd assembled outside the castle. Above them was a balcony, empty aside from the four royal guards. From within the castle, Forsburn could hear the jeering from the crowd as they berated the individual he was alone beneath the balcony. Of course, this individual deserved every rock and food item thrown violently at his way. The thought gave Forsburn a little comfort, as the crowd was mad at the lone criminal, rather than at him.

Walking out upon a balcony, Forsburn looked out upon a crowd of Fire Kingdom citizens. The crowd was gathered not far from the castle he stood in, but he could see each and every face below him. The lone criminal's visage was hidden from him by this angle. The one who orchestrated his father's murder and set him up for permanent exile was now knelt before an executioner. The momentary usurper, Loxodont.

Forsburn felt as though he should be happy. Not only had he and Zetterburn managed to execute a series of maneuvers to infiltrate Loxodont's safe houses and network of allies in a few short weeks, but they had been able to get the names of everyone who had aided Loxodont's machinations. All who were guilty of the conspiracy to commit regicide had been tried, found guilty, and executed. The only one left now was Loxodont.

It had been swift primarily thanks to Zetterburn's letter had sent west. As intended, the Water Trading Company had sent Orcane to deal with Loxodont. Orcane had received a letter from Forsburn that Loxodont would be most vulnerable during a public speech. Of course, Zetterburn had been there to stop Orcane and personally detained him. The act fooled everyone, and after Zetterburn explained the details of the operation to Orcane, the truth of Loxodont's actions began to surface. Orcane's public attack had alerted the citizens, but Zetterburn had made sure to spread rumors that Loxodont's actions were angering the Water Trading Company and the Air Armada into aggressive actions.

Soon after, the news had spread that Renburn had been assassinated not by his eldest son, Forsburn, but by a council member. Loxodont and his supporters were unable to quiet the rumors before citizens began to take matters into their own hands, and attacked the council directly. Assassination attempts became common.

In the last week alone, the brothers had set up a public event, in which Forsburn would appear to challenge Loxodont. A smoke clone attacked him in the open streets, while the real Forsburn subdued every guard one by one. Zetterburn had managed to send most of the guards home prior to the attack as they were loyal to him and heeded his warnings and advice. It hadn't been long before Loxodont was on his knees, confessing his crimes publicly.

Luckily, with a little push from Zetterburn and a few on the council who had preferred Renburn, the citizens of the Fire Kingdom now praised Forsburn as a hero. And soon he would speak to them and answer their cries for a new emperor. They cried for Forsburn to lead them into a new age, desperately hoping for one who sought only their best interests rather than his own. He had come to imagine himself on the throne over the last few days, in response to the outcry for his ascension. The thought was tempting, of course, and he felt that he could live up to their expectations.

He could feel his heart racing as he gazed over the crowd. They were cheering since he had walked out onto the balcony, but they soon grew quiet and awaited his words.

These folk needed to hear of his vision for a peaceful Aether, where they no longer need fear that their children would die in war or that their homes would one day be assaulted by Air Armada fleets. They needed to know now, and be assured, that a bright future awaited them all.

And that there was indeed someone ready to lead them to that vision.

"They say Aether was once a world of Peace, but I have seen the fire that scorched our land. And I have seen the floods that wash away life. There was a time when only a few of us bore hatred for each other, and much was lost because of it. Then, the winds shifted, and a schism split all the folk of Aether into war and the earth quaked beneath us. Again, we all felt heavily losses.

"Aether has been suffering from our savage assaults upon each other. And I tell you now, the Forest grows uneasy, as the land beneath it speaks of the poison that is war.

"Some of you may not want to hear this. But the smoke no longer follows the flame's lies and such is the path we must all walk. I do not ask you to denounce the fire, for it is in us all. Instead we must resist the fire's call to the War that has been sparked, and allow ourselves time to reflect on what our actions have set into motion. The cold front has come and it is time, not to snuff out the flames of conflict but rather redirect the burning within all of us.

"Regarding recent events, I can only say that our conflict with the Air Armada and the Water Trading Company has left all of us weak and open to attack. This is why certain incidents have occurred, such as the stealing of the Flame Imperium."

"Not long ago, I was accused of patricide. I say patricide because even though Renburn was the Emperor… first and foremost he was my father. His death shook me, even more so that his death was planned by those who would see themselves raised in station. Of course, as the first born son I am next in line for the throne and I am certain of my ability to lead our kingdom into a future filled with prosperity… I do not wish to ascend like this. Beyond my selfish desires, I am also not Renburn's legitimate son, and thus I cannot ascend, by law.

"However, a new Emperor must be chosen... and I have been granted the honor of presenting you your new emperor: Emperor Zetterburn!" Forsburn pivoted slightly and stretched out his arm towards Zetterburn, who was now walking onto the balcony.

Thunderous cheering exploded from the crowd. Zetterburn waved to his subjects for a while until the cheers finally wound down. Zetterburn gave a speech not to different from Forsburn's, but he had cut straight to the point. Forsburn did not listen to Zetterburn's speech much. His attention kept fading out as he remembered his dreams of late. They had become more clear recently, showing him clear images of the darkness that swooped down upon the land and choked it. A land dry and withered. A land that lay motionless. A land gripped with cold. A blackness swallowed the sky and two glistening white eyes bared down on him, shaking him from his slumber. Each night it had been the same, and by now he knew it was no simple dream. He was being granted visions of something to come, and that worried him.

He knew he needed to tell Zetterburn of this, but the one detail that haunted him the most, was that he would rather tell Maypul. Sure, they had been exchanging letters in secret for the last few weeks, but it was really because the land he saw in these dreams were always dense forest. That was the real reason.

"...for such a future, and so I appoint Forsburn as my Chief Advisor." Forsburn suddenly faded back into reality just in time to hear Zetterburn's declaration. He performed as expected of him, and gave a slight look of surprise and took a step over to Zetterburn and shook his hand. He genuinely thanked Zetterburn aloud, and they embraced for a moment. In that time, Zetterburn said to him, "I love you, Brother," before pulling away and facing the crowd, his arm still over Forsburn's shoulders.

Zetterburn continued speaking to the crowd, "With his assistance, my Brother and I will lead this Kingdom to the golden glory our father once envisioned. But we will shed no blood to attain it. We will not risk the lives of our citizens, nor your children, to do it. It shall be a glorious dawn of a new age!"

Zetterburn lifted his other arm high into the air as he roared the last words of his speech. The crowd loved it. They loved him. Forsburn, once again, found himself admiring his little brother for the natural charisma that seemed to pour off him.

Zetterburn brought both his arms back down to his side and the brothers walked away from the crowd and back into the castle. The citizens continued their cheering for quite a while, celebrating the mere idea of their new emperor. Coronation day would be wild if this was any indicator.

"So, Fors," Zetterburn said, "how was I?"

"Oh, yes. It was quite… regal." Forsburn could not tell his brother that he wasn't listening. However, there were details he could no longer put aside. "Very elevated and well-positioned."

Zetterburn let out a deep sigh, as if now at ease. "Thanks. I was so worried they wouldn't accept everything. They seemed so intent on having you ascend the throne at first, but it seems they're just as happy to see me lead them with you by my side. They know that we can accomplish anything if we work together, and I'm telling you–"

"Zet," Forsburn interrupted, "I must tell you something."

Zetterburn stilled himself, and search his brother's expression. Adopting Forsburn's seriousness, he spoke quietly, "What's the problem?"

"I have seen something that makes me wary of our journey for peace," Forsburn lowered his voice as well. "I have had these… dreams as of late. They wake me at night and leave me shuddering in a cold sweat. I fear there's a new darkness coming."

Zetterburn looked around, as to ensure no one could overhear, "In these dreams, do you see land without water? A land frozen to the point of stillness?"

Forsburn was surprised, "Yes. Have you had similar visions haunt you?"

His brother nodded, then spoke of his own dreams that shared the same imagery. Zetterburn's dreams seemed to have start around the same time that Forsburn's had, but had seen more of the land laid waste. Zetterburn had seen the trees withered and twisted and dead. He had seen the rivers dried and the winds still as death.

Forsburn noticed one detail was amiss from Zetterburn's account. "No shadow?"

Seemingly confused, Zetterburn's face furrowed a bit as he thought back, "I'm pretty sure there weren't any of the Shadows we faced back at the Godai Delta. Or really anything dark and brooding, for that matter. Mostly just a dead forest and nothing else. It wasn't well lit though, and I'm certain that the sun never pierced the clouds."

Forsburn was not anymore at ease than he had been before. Zetterburn's account now only raised a new question: Was anyone else also receiving these visions or was it only the brothers? Could the others seeing these images be those in their family? The questions rolling into his head increased exponentially, giving him no respite from which he may consider all this a trivial matter to be brushed aside. He had seriously hoped he had only been sick, maybe having eaten some turned meal.

The brothers walked out of the room and wandered the hallways. Forsburn pushed his mullings back for a moment to toss an arm over his brother's shoulders. "Regardless, you the emperor now and I am your chief adviser. So don't worry about it and let me get back to you with what I found out later."

Zetterburn nodded sharply, "Sounds good."

"More importantly, we must plan your coronation day. It must be grander than Loxodont's farce of an ascension. We could turn the whole thing into a festival and even invite the whole Kingdom. I'll send word to the Water Trading Company and the Air Armada immediately and let them know the new Fire Emperor means to unite all of Aether. Maybe we could even invite them to the wedding."

"Woah," Zetterburn laughed nervously, "I don't think I'm–"

"Shut the fuck up, Zet," Forsburn playfully pushed his brother away. "Let me tell you, our father was lonely in his last years. You don't want to rule a kingdom without a strong dependable female by your side. She would be your shelter when you seek refuge from the burden of rule. The crown rests heavy upon the head, and someone to help you hold it is nice."

Zetterburn conceded, "Alright fine. But maybe you should taste your own medicine. You can't sate your heart with whores the rest of your life."

"I haven't laid with a anyone in a long time actually."

Zetterburn rolled his eyes, "Yeah, because the Smoke Clan has no females. Weren't you just there a few weeks ago? And right after that intense battle with the Shadows, too. Seems like the perfect time to reward yourself and a lucky female."

Forsburn blushed, "There really isn't anyone. I have higher standards than just laying the first female I see, brother."

Unfortunately, Zetterburn saw his expression, "Oh shit. There really is someone, isn't there?"

Forsburn could think of nothing to say, merely shaking his head slightly.

"You fell in love, you little shit. Don't lie to me!" Zetterburn's face seemed to light up as he read Forsburn like a book.

Zetterburn began bombarding Forsburn with question after question, prodding for information about this mystery lover. Forsburn said nothing, merely trying to dissuade Zetterburn's inquisition. For a time, this continued and the brother's felt a bit of that old childhood joy return. It was comforting to know that he could relax himself around Zetterburn. He was also glad to know that Zetterburn seemed to do the same, showing the side of himself to Forsburn he hid from his own troops. These kind of moments gave Forsburn hope for the future, regardless of the black visions that promised death and suffering. Until those visions manifested into reality, he would enjoy every moment with his beloved brother.

* * *

A/N: Well shit. I nearly hit 3,000 words this time. Not much to say in this one. Bit of a larger time skip this time.

if you enjoyed the story up to this point you can always Comment, Follow, and Favorite to let me know whats up.

Take Care!


	6. Chapter 6

The weeks following the announcement of Zetterburn's ascension to the throne were excruciatingly tedious. Every single day was filled with appointments and and plans for a grand coronation ceremony. As often as he could, Forsburn would remind Zetterburn that having a wife would help legitimize his claim, as well as show the citizens that there was going to be a serious attempt at creating a steady imperial family. One conversation in particular was constantly ringing in Forsburn's memory.

He had advised Zetterburn towards a path of fidelity. Having a bastard son had made Renburn's rule difficult for a while, and many patriots had seen this as a smudge on the Fire Kingdom's reputation. Forsburn did not want to see Zetterburn's rule struggle through the same doubt. Zetterburn agreed to the logic, but said that he would neither betray a woman he loved nor disregard any child of his blood.

Forsburn was glad that Zetterburn saw relatives of any degree as worthy of being family, but that wasn't what mattered right now. As long as Zetterburn took his future marriage seriously there would be one less issue.

Other conversations had been of subjects of rule. Politics, specifically, were of primary importance. They had each been an extension of their father's rule, but Renburn's experience and knowledge of politics and warfare were vast. Forsburn knew that they would need to pool knowledge in order to ensure success.

And so they taught each other much, although session pertaining to warfare and combat were often short as their plans for the future did not have such campaigns. They even enlisted the assistance of the remnants of the Council, and all seemed to benefit from the sharing. Forsburn believed he could trust the few councilmen left, but he knew that Zetterburn's faith in them was crushed by Loxodont's schemes.

Loxodont's execution had been quiet. There was little to no attendance to the public event, and the brothers agreed it was fine that way. The less folk cared about Loxodont's death, the better.

Coronation day had also been smooth. Without the Flame Imperium, Zetterburn's rule could always be challenged, but at this point, most of the public knew that the Shadows had stolen the Flame Imperium. Word came from the west of how the Shadows had bestowed the Air Armada with valuable information regarding Fire Kingdom vulnerabilities. Since no attack ever came, there was a slight encouragement of believing in a peaceful future among the citizens. It had been as Forsburn hoped, and he would certainly thank Wrastor when the day came.

Early Afternoon. Throne room of the Fire Emperor.

Forsburn stood beside his brother, who sat in a masterfully crafted throne at the far end of a great hall crafted of the finest marble and gold and other precious materials. A long red carpet stretched the length of the throne room from beneath Zetterburn's throne, down a short set of stairs before the throne, and out the front entrances of the building. Presently, a few dozen royal guards stood along the length of said carpet and four by the entrance.

The day was barely halfway through, and already Forsburn felt exhausted. Countless citizens had flooded in over the last few days, all with some grievance or another, asking for the Fire Emperor's wisdom and judgement. Forsburn knew this to be a key component of ruling, but Zetterburn had expressed open displeasure, inquiring to why anyone needed an emperor's words on the most trivial of matters. Forsburn attempted to assure his brother of the necessity of such proceedings, but he had to admit that Zetterburn had a point. Most of the issues were of disputes on property lines and minor infractions of the most obscure laws. They started needing councilmen to show up to reread such laws to ensure everyone present understood what was going on.

However, after all the trivial nonsense, there was finally something important to be discussed. Presently at the foot of the short stairs stood a representative of the Water Trading Company. A green fish-woman calling herself Merydia, claiming that the WTC was now willing to enter negotiations with the Fire Kingdom. While this was certainly good news, there was only one recurring issue in the discussion.

The woman had a strange way of keeping a majority of the facts under veil. Quite often, when asked about specifics involving the state of the WTC and its wares (essentially: what it could truly offer the Fire Kingdom in the bounds of an alliance and/or trade agreement), she consistently dodged any form of accurate accounts of numbers or details and instead spoke on the state of mind of the citizens of the Merchant Port and the surrounding villages and towns. She also spoke of what an alliance and trade agreement could do for the peace of mind of the Fire Kingdom citizens, and sounded quite versed in the subject.

Yet, she never spoke about the raw data needed to make educated decisions. Forsburn had allowed Zetterburn to speak for himself during the conversation, confident his brother would not disrespect the representative. While he was far more confident in his own ability to negotiate, his younger brother needed the practice. However, he had to admit that even he himself would be not quite as calm while conversing with Merydia. Zetterburn seemed unphased by the lack of information, much to Forsburn's confusion.

The talks did, however, conclude on one detail oriented topic. Merydia mentioned that certain policies would need to be revised in both governments, in order to allow a system she called "free-trade" to flourish. She spoke on the system at length, and it sounded like a good deal for everyone. If the citizens of one area wanted to create a good another nation would covet, then the increased circulation of currency could be expected enrich everyone's lives. The WTC planned to, of course, profit on the "free-trade" and she suggested that the Fire Kingdom to ensure the same for themselves.

The talks wound down eventually, and a meeting with WTC officials was scheduled for the near future. Yet, even as Merydia walked out of the throne room, Forsburn couldn't help but feel he was missing something. Sure, the extent to which this individual disregard a large portion of fact-based conversation was annoying, but it felt familiar. The sense of not truly understanding what she was trying to convey.

Once the room was to themselves, aside from the guards, Zetterburn let out a long sigh. "Okay, I'll admit it. You were on to something with the whole wife business."

"How so?" Forsburn inquired. "I mean, I know I was right, but why exactly do you say this now?"

"Hey hey. Don't even go there with that cocky attitude," Zetterburn chuckled a bit, then paused before elaborating. "I mean, a female's mind is certainly different. There are ways of thinking that I imagine only they can, and I had a really hard time wrapping my mind around most of what she said about the citizens. It seemed like what she said was about their best interests, her citizens and my own, but…" he trailed off.

"But?" Forsburn encouraged.

Zetterburn shook his head after a few moments in silence. "I'm not sure." He looked over to Forsburn and gave an earnest look, "But, thank you... for letting me take the lead on these things, Fors. It means a lot that you trust me."

"I have no reason not to trust you," Forsburn replied, almost defiantly.

"I've made the wrong choice before."

A minor tension arose, but Forsburn swiftly squashed it by clasping his brother's shoulder. "And we learn from such mistakes without holding grudges because we always remember that everyone has made a mistake before."

They savored the moment, and both brothers could feel the trust and honesty between them.

"I'm sorry you have to sit through all of this, Fors."

"Well I'm actually standing," Forsburn replied laughing, "but it's quite alright. An empress would make both our lives easier, though."

"Then I suppose I should get started on the search immediately," Zetterburn also gave a hearty laugh. After a short while, Zetterburn returned to an earnest tone, "I think I'll take just a few more meetings. Why don't you head on out and take the rest of the day off?"

"Are you sure?" Forsburn was slightly surprised, but Zetterburn had handled the routine of meeting with civilians very well. He had proved himself a capable leader by now.

Zetterburn seemed almost offended, "Of course I am! There are only a few hours of sunlight left, and I want you to go ahead and enjoy them while I wrap this up."

Forsburn was reluctant, but after a little more pushing from his brother, he finally walked out of the throne room. He completely trusted Zetterburn, and this was pretty much the only way to truly show it. He went back up to his bedchamber and began to clean himself up.

As Forsburn walked out of his room, he accidentally bumped into a young Hippo-male servant. After exchanging apologies, the servant introduced himself as a courier. He bore a message that he discovered had accidentally went astray and been delayed. The courier claimed to not know how the long the delay had been, but did seem to know who the message was from and apologized.

Forsburn walked back into his room, clutching the letter. It was sealed, but he didn't need to open it to know who wrote to him. He swiftly unsealed the letter, his heartbeat rising as he began reading.

He read it in silence, and his insides felt like they were spinning faster than an Air Armada Aerial Ace. As expected, it had been Maypul who sent the note. It was very brief, but the message was extremely clear. She was headed to the Fire Capital bearing good news and important news. She seemed to make a distinction between the "important" and the "good" news, as if they were mutually exclusive. However, the thing that really made Forsburn's heart dance, was a small drawing at the bottom of the note. It was a well known symbol that had a serious intention behind it.

Maypul wanted to spend much of her time in the Fire Capital alone with Forsburn.

She wanted him to court her… publicly.

He was too excited. He needed to respond to her, but by now she might already be on her way here, if not here by tomorrow. He simply had to tell Zetterburn. He would appreciate the good news.

* * *

 _ *****Fate is a traitorous thing. For no sooner did Forsburn read Maypul's letter had she already walked into the Fire Kingdom throne room.*****_

Maypul made a small curtsy to Zetterburn, but Zetterburn dismissed it, "None of that!" He stood from his throne, "We are siblings in combat. Certain formalities can be ignored during such a reunion!"

Maypul smiled, "I wish I could agree. I come with urgent business with the Fire Emperor."

Zetterburn's smile lessened, he felt the seriousness in her voice, "Very well." He sat back down, "State your business, friend," but he leaned forward to show that he would be listening intently.

"Thank you, My Lord," Maypul began. It hurt slightly to hear a comrade from battle refer to him with such an official tone. "I have recently been appointed representative of the Treetop Clan of the Aetherian Forest. My sole objective is to convince you, Emperor Zetterburn, to forge an alliance with our folk, both above and below the branches. We know that trade between our folk is beneficial and that working together will bring a stronger Aether, and I hope you allow me to stay at court whilst I convince you of such truths."

After a brief pause, Zetterburn leaned back. He let out a deep sigh before exclaiming, "Absolutely not!"

Maypul seemed both shocked and worried by the response.

"No such foolishness will be permitted under my rule!"

Maypul, seemingly desperate to not fail her mission, began to plead, "Wait, please! Zetterburn, don't do this! I can't–"

Zetterburn interrupted her with a laugh and shouted, "There's the warrior I met on the Godai!"

Maypul was silent and addled.

"Maypul, do you really think I would ever turn you away?" He asked loudly, a wide smile gleaming on his face. "You can stay here for as long as you like! We will care for all the warriors who aided in defeating the Shadows."

Maypul wavered slightly, clearly relieved.

Zetterburn continued, "However, I will not permit you to talk my ears off about an alliance I'm already in agreement with. Whatever the terms, we can handle it all later. You should already know my stance on a unified Aether!"

Maypul, finally gathering herself, replied, "I do, My Lord. However, I–"

"None of the damn formalities or honorifics, though," Zetterburn sharply said, "Just call me by my name, like you would any other person."

She blushed slightly, "Of course. Anyway, Zetterburn, I am here to not only offer this alliance, but to secure it today."

Now he was intrigued, no one had yet come to him bearing immediate offers. "Oh? How so?"

"I am offering myself as a bride. In the hopes that all of Aether can see that the Forest and the Fire can be allies and close confidants. I offer myself, as the Chieftain's daughter."

Zetterburn's eyes widened, here he saw the truest opportunity to show Aether that the Fire Kingdom meant to truly achieve long lasting peace.

Maypul now slightly mumbled as she tilted her face downward, "It would be a great honor to unite our nations together. I understand if a pure-blooded emperor does not wish to sully his line with an outsider, but your br–"

Zetterburn impatiently cut her off, "Nonsense! I wouldn't mind at all. My brother was suggesting this very thing not even an hour ago!"

With her face slightly towards the floor, Zetterburn didn't notice Maypul's shocked expression, or how she betrayed her disappointment right after. And he would not know, for she recovered from it quickly, and picked her face up to reveal a smile, "Of course, he did."

Zetterburn continued, "It is time I started courting a female seriously. And Forsburn has been getting on me to do this for a while." He stood up and walked down the steps towards Maypul.

* * *

Maypul was flustered. Zetterburn was knelt down in front of her, offering himself as her suitor. This was not how she expected the day to go.

In a minor nervous fit, she glanced around the throne room. Her eyes lay on Forsburn, who had apparently been watching this unfold. He bore no expression. He didn't seemed shocked or even regretful.

How dare he just pass her off to his brother. He ignored her message for 5 weeks. He knew damn well what the small icon in her letter meant. It was universal for Aetherian citizens. She practically put herself on a silver platter for him. She had never dreamed she could muster the courage to ask anyone to court her, and the first male she tries immediately gives her the silent treatment and then convinces his own brother to try her instead.

Was he too scared? She knew he felt something for her. It had been obvious in his letters to her.

What a fucking ASSHOLE!

And he has the nerve to watch as his brother asks for her hand in marriage.

A binding, royal marriage at that!

Fuck him!

He could watch, then. If any part of him cared for her…

She gathered herself and looked back down to Zetterburn, "Yes, Emperor Zetterburn. I accept your proposal."

Zetterburn stood up, "Excellent! I'll postpone all my appointed meetings, and you'll have my undivided attention the entire day. I'll have assistants show you where you'll be staying."

"That all sounds fine." Maypul glanced back towards Forsburn, hoping he might take this last opportunity to come to his senses and stop this... But he had already gone, clearly content with what he saw.

'If he regrets it now… Well, that's too bad for him. I won't be passed off like some old rag.' She looked Zetterburn in the eyes. 'What one man drops, another may hold dear.'

* * *

A/N: PHEW! this one was tougher. Not as wordy as the last chapter... but this marks the start of (hopefully) greater fluidity with this story.

I got not too much to say here. Im not necessarily proud, but i am satisfied that i got this far with the story.  
Your feedback and opinion is treasured, especially constructive criticism.

Also, tell me how you feel about the tale thus far. what are you hopeful for? what are your guesses to the future?

Much love! Take Care!


	7. Chapter 7

There were too many emotions flooding through Forsburn.

He was not far down the hall from the throne room when he had heard Maypul's voice. He also heard Zetterburn and his loud, haughty voice. He hadn't heard exactly what they were saying, he only had a chance to hear Zetterburn offer to court her. Maypul was blushing, though seemingly not upset at. She looked over to Forsburn and his heart sank as she accepted the proposal and immediately broke the eye contact. Forsburn pulled himself back out of the doorway and against the wall. He never felt so crushed.

He fled to his room. The maelstrom of negative feelings crashing against him. Had he misread the message? No, the small symbol at the bottom of the letter had meant she wanted him. Forsburn.

Yet she so willingly accepted Zetterburn as her suitor. Was she trying to tell Forsburn to compete against his own brother, the emperor, to win her affections? She had seemed such a kind spirit, but she certainly wasn't like the average female. Perhaps she wanted to see competition over her.

Forsburn's mind went back and forth between feelings of defeat and angry resentment. The ire never lasted long in the pendulum of torture that was his emotions.

He wasn't sure what to feel or think, and as he returned to his bed the feelings broke him. He quietly cried himself to sleep, and hated himself for it all the while.

* * *

Dawn, some days later. The Fire Capitol War Room.

Forsburn stood on the far side of the long table across from his brother. Zetterburn had insisted that they stand beside each other, but Forsburn explained that he needed to see things from the other viewpoint. In truth, Forsburn simply couldn't stand to be anywhere near his brother. The last few days, he had barely left his room, and through his window he could sometime see Zetterburn and Maypul taking strolls out in the grounds. The sight tore him apart, though Maypul did seem to enjoy Zetterburn's company.

Forsburn often had to shake the memory of these frequent sightings out of his head. Doing so, yet again, he returned his attention to the conversation at hand.

With negotiations with the Water Trading Company planned, Zetterburn intended to take both Forsburn as his chief advisor, and Maypul as his Empress-to-be. Zetterburn had expressed that, as a team of negotiators, they could ensure the best possible outcome. Yet, Forsburn has assured his brother that the Chief Advisor's presence would only weaken any respect the WTC had for the Fire Kingdom's leader.

While this was surely a possibility, it was highly unlikely. Forsburn simply did not want to put himself in that awkward position next to his heart's desire and her betrothed. Forsburn saw many reasons to go with them to negotiate, but he also had legitimate confidence that Zetterburn could negotiate a deal without him. Maypul could most certainly assist, having a different perspective than either of them.

Damn… It still hurt so much to think about her being with his brother.

Forsburn shook himself out of it once more. Thankfully, Zetterburn had approved of his request to seek out allies elsewhere. The most reclusive of folk in Aether, the Treetop Dwellers, had been in contact and, on that front, all seemed well enough. Additionally, Smoke Clan was now completely on board with aligning itself with the Fire Kingdom, although it was perhaps the most fragile alliance in history. However, the Air Armada needed to be contacted. The Air Elders were nearly impossible to reach, and no one had done it yet, but Forsburn felt that the Air Alliance needed to be restored. He supposed that, speaking truthfully, the Air Elders were more reclusive than the Treetop Dwellers.

Zetterburn had agreed to send Forsburn out as an envoy to the Air Armada. If they could ensure their neighbors were allies, than the next logical step would be to bring the Air Armada into the fold. Zetterburn recognized this, but he could never know Forsburn's feelings.

Forsburn would leave at dawn the next day, although he secretly planned to leave before midnight so as to avoid unwanted interactions.

* * *

Midnight, later on. Just outside the palace grounds.

The plan had worked well enough. Forsburn had managed to sneak past all the guards and avoid every single occupant of the castle. It barely took him 10 minutes to sneak out. He would have rather used a smoke portal to get out, but he hadn't been able to use much of his smoke abilities the last few days.

As he snuck across the grounds, he looked back at the castle with one last, somber gaze. There were not many lights to see; most of the occupants had already blown out their candles for the night. However, his room did have light shining through the left of the two embrasures. The right one seemed dimly lit, as if something was set against it to block most the light.

* * *

Maypul stood in Forsburn's room, staring through the embrasure at the dark palace grounds at the barely visible prince himself. She had heard from Zetterburn, just hours ago, that Forsburn was to go out to the far west at dawn to seek new alliances. Tonight was Maypul's last chance to make amends with him and explain everything. She hadn't expected him to have left so much earlier.

'He probably knew I was coming and must have used a smoke portal to escape.' She felt both disappointed and hurt. Forsburn had been noticeably avoiding her for days, but this was different. If he somehow sensed her approaching, why did he flee? Why not stay and be honest with her or at least be willing to listen to what she had to say?

She had to assume the worst. Forsburn simply disliked her so much now, that he couldn't even bare to look at her. He would rather be out walking across the countryside alone than see her.

Her chest felt heavy, as if being crushed under the Rock Wall. She wiped away the few tears that ran down her face, turned around, and grabbed her lit candle holder on her way out of the room. She wasn't angry this time, just hurt. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. She cried the whole while she walked, lucky enough to not see anyone on her way to her room.

'Why am I even crying over this? I knew it would happen.' She wasn't even sure if she would be able to sleep, but she wanted to so badly. To dream of anything else, and forget Forsburn forever. She would give anything to erase this pain.

Anything…

* * *

Forsburn continued out of the city. When he did look back, the lights within his bedchambers were already snuffed out. He couldn't guess who would come to his room late at night. They must have known he was supposed to leave by dawn. Perhaps Zetterburn sent some females for Forsburn to enjoy the night before long travels. Zetterburn used to do that all the time when they were younger. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise.

Once he was finally out of the Capitol, he glanced over his shoulder. His mind drifted back to Maypul. Painful images hopped into his mind of her and Zetterburn, and it made him only move faster away. He began to run, then break into a wild dash. He wanted to distance himself as much as possible from all of it. That was the real reason he wanted this mission.

As he finally tired out, the Fire Capitol was now far away on the horizon. Forsburn fell to the ground, his face drenched from the streaming river of tears. He was shaking, though it could have been from the wild sprinting he had just finished. He fought the urge to scream out his emotional agony; he couldn't afford to have anyone near the Capitol hear him.

When he finally managed to recollect himself, he stood up, brushed himself off, and continued to walk towards his destination. It would be a long travel, and while he had some food packed for the journey, he was intent on riding a boat from Merchant Port to hasten the journey.

* * *

A/N: A shorter one, to be sure. Been on a little bit of a struggle bus so i haven't been able to give this my full attention until yesterday/today. so its out now, but im sorry if it's not nearly as much as you may have wanted.

no other excuses right now. just wanted to continue to breaking hearts today.

take care, maybe things will get better for Fors and May in the future?

P.S.: Why is this STILL the only story on this site?


	8. Chapter 8

Late Morning. The Fire Capital.

Maypul felt warm as she woke. She nuzzled her face into the pillow and tried desperately to return to slumber. She had never felt so at peace, and just wanted to feel like this forever. The scent of the room was intoxicating, and aided in her feeling of ease. The servants must have changed out the incense in the twilight hour, but she would have to remember to thank someone for this particular choice. This scent was foreign to her, but did not accost her senses. Rather, it wrapped around her sweetly, like the warm embrace of a … of a lover just returned from months of travel….Yes. Those were the words for it….

Just as she nearly fell back into sleep, she jolted into an upright position. Her mind raced as she came to terms with her analogy. Maypul glanced about the room, noticing that there was not a single object she recognized as part of her usual decor. The designs and patterns and materials all suggested this room was that of high authority. The kind with a fiery mane.

To make matters worse, nothing in the room seemed to be in its proper place. The slight wreckage of various items strewn about the room made it clear that she had not spent much of the night asleep. Even the midday sun poured light in through the embrasures also suggested that she had slept through mostly morning hours.

A few deathly silent moments passed. Maypul had to admit it… she was in Zetterburn's bed right now… and she had mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, she felt sore in places that gave her lewd thoughts... and even naughtier memories of the night before. While, on the other hand, she felt a warm feeling of satisfaction within her. She hadn't felt this good since… she could hardly even remember a better feeling.

She would need to clean herself up before leaving this room. Luckily, she was alone and there appeared to a bath in an adjacent room. Afterwards… well, she would just confront Zetterburn.

Hopefully, he felt as good as she did right now….

* * *

At the same time. Outskirts of Merchant Port.

Forsburn had been travelling all night and all morning. He was exhausted, but he was just outside Merchant Port. The town was bustling in the midday sun, folk everywhere were hard at work, and the community before him seemed like a cohesive and extended family. There was an air of joy and appreciation that Forsburn had never seen in the Fire Capital or any other Fire Kingdom city. Most of the walkways were made of large planks of wood, which he recalled were named "boardwalks." It was a nice, simpler look that suggested the town was built diligently by the ancestors of the citizens. There was a level of respect that was demanded by such dedication for folk to build their own home together willingly.

He wasn't sure if he would find a ship headed to the west, but he figured the best place to start was the actual ports. Walking through the town (it felt more like a city), Forsburn felt eyes on him. He caught looks of fear and anger, and could only guess how many of the people had not yet forgiven the Fire Kingdom for Zetterburn's rampage on this town a few months ago. How many of them accepted the truth of the Shadows? How many of them even cared?

It wasn't long before he reached the ports. When he arrived, every working hand had already stopped their activities and was watching him as he appeared from around the corner of a building. They had no look of warm welcome amongst them, only faces bearing curiosity or resentment. Mostly the latter.

He felt slightly intimidated by the scene before him. Fifty or so experienced deckhands, Each appearing quite capable of lifting him and tossing him out of town. Forsburn feared his diplomatic skills would be of little use here, but he had a mission to attend to.

"I seek a voyage westward, toward the home of the Air Alliance, that I may broker peace with them. I am Forsburn, son of Renburn, and Chief Advisor to Emperor Zetterburn, son of Renburn."

With that, they were upon him. Forsburn had little time to consider their expressions and body language, as the sight of over 50 individuals surrounding him and advancing suddenly nearly threw him into a state of panic. Just as he was about to attempt to flee, the water beneath the boardwalk surged around him and Orcane appeared before him.

The citizens slowed their approach, and Forsburn noticed that many of the faces were not angry, only puzzled. As they looked down at Orcane their eyes grew in amazed understanding and cheers rallied from the crowd.

Utterly confused, Forsburn looked at Orcane for answers. The sputtering barks only reminded Forsburn of the language barrier, for lack of a better term. Forsburn could tell from the gesturing, however, that Orcane meant to lead Forsburn away. He could only hope that the Puddle Jumper would lead him to a translator.

The citizens continued to approach, the nearest placing their hands on Forsburn's shoulders and expressing gratitude. He could not tell what the gratitude was for, but he had to assume that, given the course of events, it involved them knowing of his part in stopping the Shadows.

After exchanging a "you're welcome" or an "of course, no problem at all" for each "thank you" and "thousand blessings" he received, he and Orcane managed to finally slip through the crowd and into less populated pathways. Orcane began trotting down the boardwalks with a clear destination in mind, so Forsburn tried his best to keep pace. Orcane occasionally glanced over his shoulder to ensure he didn't lose Forsburn, and when they finally reached the destination Forsburn's heart melted at what he saw. A young girl ran out of the building and jumped onto Orcane, hugging him fiercely and giggling.

A short time passed and an elderly male fish-man walked out of the same building. He introduced himself as Nesbit and invited Forsburn inside for supper.

As the afternoon passed by, Nesbit told Forsburn of the tales that had circulated around Merchant Port after Orcane had returned from the Godai Delta. Orcane had relayed the events to the citizens of Merchant Port and told them of the great shame Zetterburn had felt upon realizing he had attacked the town wrongly. The Water Trading Company was notified that an armistice had been requested by the Fire Kingdom and that the Air Armada should soon comply. No word ever came from the Air Armada, but there hadn't been any raids since, so the folk felt safe enough.

Nesbit recalled the day of the first message from the Fire Kingdom, requesting an alliance with the WTC. Many thought it a sneaky misdirection, but most, himself included, simply hoped that a new path was unfolding before all of Aether.

Forsburn felt compelled to assure Nesbit of the Fire Kingdom's dedication to peace and to economic prosperity for all who would break bread with the new Fire Emperor.

The conversation eventually turned to why Forsburn had personally ventured out to Merchant Port. He felt no need to lie to these folk, Orcane was a venerable fighter and Nesbit and his granddaughter were clearly kindhearted enough. Nesbit was not surprised to hear of the Fire Kingdom's eagerness to forge a solid alliance with the Air Armada, and suggested that it was long overdue. However, Forsburn also spoke of his desire to contact the Air Elders, to which Nesbit laughed haughtily.

"I don't think anyone had seen the Air Elders since the Air Alliance split for the war. Why even risk the perilous journey just to talk with some folk that may turn you around? Seems a waste of your time."

Forsburn sighed, "Honestly, the dangerous trek up a mountain may just be what I need to shake myself of some recent… doubts…. If I can aid my brother in the interim, then it cannot be a waste of time."

Nesbit brought his hand to his chin and scratched thoughtfully. He looked unto Orcane and his granddaughter as they continued their play wrestling. After a long pause, he mused, "It is not a journey one should take without decent rest and a full meal. Please stay the night."

Forsburn wanted to decline, but the thought of a meal and rest made his body ache and fight his will. He slowly nodded and agreed.

The evening meal was plentiful, Nesbit went on about how the food had become quite plentiful since the Shadows had been dispersed. The WTC even lowered the tax again recently, so many citizens of Merchant Port were able to build upon their living conditions. Orcane and Nesbit's granddaughter went to bed right after the meal, and Forsburn offered to help Nesbit clean up. They continued to converse whilst cleaning, and Forsburn felt comfortable around the old timer.

Nesbit asked, "You are still quite young, and I'm sure it's all fine and valiant serving the greater good… but why not settle down and start a family? You should do it while you're still young enough to see your grandkids."

Forsburn relented, "There was a female I set my sights on, but she is happily with another now."

Nesbit paused his cleaning and somberly said, "I'm sorry, lad." He placed a hand on Forsburn's shoulder and said, hopefully, "There will be another for you, given enough patience."

Forsburn remained silent after that. The cleaning was finished and Nesbit lead Forsburn to a guest bed, wished him a good night's sleep, and wandered off to his own bedroom.

* * *

Forsburn awoke feeling well rested. Judging from the morning light, he slept far longer than usual, a testament to how exhausted he was physically and mentally. The smell of breakfast gently assaulted his nose, and all desire to stay asleep left him. As he rose from the guest bed, he could see Orcane and Nesbit's granddaughter playing outside on the boardwalk. He had a feeling they never grew tired of playing around all day.

He lifted himself out of the bed, brushed himself into at least some semblance of respectable, and walked out towards the kitchen. He saw Nesbit preparing something in a pot in the kitchen, but didn't get a chance to see it.

Nesbit spoke as he turned around to face Forsburn, "Good morning! Hope you don't mind my special breakfast stew."

Forsburn shook his head slightly, "Not at all, smells delicious…. Good morning to you, as well."

"Sleep well?"

"Actually, I slept very well, which is somewhat surprising."

Nesbit's expression read slight curiosity and worry, "Why's that?"

"I think I just expected to be asleep for far longer."

"Well, you did go to bed with a full stomach. And the beds in this town are made well enough to help one rest off a full day's work."

Forsburn nodded in understanding. The folk in Merchant Port worked all day to maintain their livelihood, and they were well known for the results of their labor.

After a moment of silence. Nesbit finished preparing breakfast and called for his granddaughter and Orcane to come inside to eat. Forsburn couldn't help but ask if the two ever stopped playing. Nesbit laughed, quite sure he could not recall a normal day that he hadn't seen them playing around.

Once the two playmates came inside, everyone sat down to eat. Nesbit told Forsburn that he managed to find a boat willing to transport Forsburn west for free.

"There is a storm coming in that will, unfortunately, slow down all sea travel for a few days. But it'd be better than trying to travel around the Godai, especially as the storm hits."

He didn't like the idea of being out at sea during a storm, but Forsburn couldn't argue that point. He wanted to get moving quickly. Sure, it would mean he returned home sooner, but if a storm picks up, it will ground the Air Armada in place for a while.

Once everyone had eaten, Forsburn helped Nesbit clean up the kitchen while Orcane dashed outside with his playmate. Nesbit said the boat would leave within the hour, so they quickly wrapped up their task and headed out toward the pier. Nesbit's granddaughter and Orcane followed behind them, the youngling questioning her grandfather incessantly as they walked.

Upon arriving at the pier, Forsburn noticed all the faces from yesterday working along in preparation for the storm. Boats already moored to the pier were being tied down with what seemed like three times the rope. He couldn't quite follow what was being done exactly, as Forsburn had little to no experience with shipwork. However, Forsburn could tell that only one of the boats was preparing to leave soon, as the ropes were being untied and dragged back onto the vessel.

Forsburn said his goodbyes and headed off towards the boat.

After he crossed the wooden plank and onto the boat, the deck-hands slid it onboard, untied the last of the ropes, and the ship immediately began moving out to sea. A few of them walked up to Forsburn and invited him to find a place to rest for the journey.

* * *

A/N: Welp. its back... Still the only RoA story on here?! sorry ya'll can only depend on me... cause i haven't been very dependable lately...

anyway... comment and concerns please!

and lemme know if ya want the next segment to focus on Maypul and... whatever happened... or Forsburn and whatever is going to happen.


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